Every season I find new items or products I fall in love with. So I decided to start a seasonal blog to show you  things that I am currently in love with.

WELCOME TO THE 2017 FALL EDITION!

I was having trouble with dry skin | oily skin | & just basically EVERY skin issue you can think of — when I saw Sunday Riley in Sephora. I was initially curious & intrigued, so I got some samples. As soon as I tried them, I was hooked — It basically saved my skin.

Everyday I wake up thinking, “MY SKIN FEELS SO GOOD!” Cole {my husband} even noticed… That’s always a big deal when your husband says, “Babe, your skin looks amazing!”

There are all kinds of products that claim to be amazing & let’s be real — most of the time they end up being not so amazing. I tend to be skeptical at times when I hear someone say things like, “this is the best product, or it is a miracle.” I am very honest when it comes to any kind of cosmetic or facial product, because I am the one using them. So, if I didn’t like it personally… why would I tell you to try it. You only have one face & it is pretty much the thing that everyone comes in contact with everyday (including the sun & all the toxins surrounding us.) But if we only have one face, we should care about it & take care of it! 🙂

The Sunday Riley’s Luna Sleeping Night Oil & Good Genes treatment — is the first thing I bought & in using it, I really do feel like Sunday Riley knows what women want. Not only do the products smell amazing, they actually work! Luna is a nighttime oil with retinol & has a mix of cold-pressed oils that work as a cushion to deliver the retinol — which can sometimes be harsh on the skin. Good Genes is a lactic acid treatment that can be used in the morning & at night. It also contains arnica, licorice, & lemongrass to help exfoliate & add vibrancy to the skin. Sometimes people get intimidated when they read/hear retinol or lactic acid, but with the right delivery to your face — these things actually benefit you, they do not harm your skin. 

I immediately started using the products in tandem when I picked them up in sample form from Sephora, & by the next day, I loved them so much that I went to go purchase the full size of each one. They sold me on the items that quick, because they actually work! After I used the Luna oil & Good Genes treatment for a while I actually ended up getting a few more samples. The ones that I chose to try & eventually buy were a mineral cleanser & vitamin c lotion/serum called, Glass Slipper & CEO. I had heard great things about the cleanser & lotion/serum, but I had no idea how much I would actually love them!

The thing that I love about this product & the founder is that, she not only is from TEXAS, but Sunday Riley personally created her facial care line. Sunday did this because she was dissatisfied with the skincare quality that was available to everyday women — She decided to use the gifting she had as a cosmetic chemist & product formulator to make something great! Sunday was able to create formulas that were high-quality & natural for her customers. The reason that Sunday Riley products don’t cost even more is because Riley works on them for free on her own time. “We have an unlimited research and development budget because I’m the formulator, & I do it for free,” she explains. Keeping her products at an affordable level is a priority for her — & even though $100 doesn’t seem like a very good price, it is for what you are actually buying. “I’m not into aspirational luxury,” she says. “I think a lot of luxury skin-care brands are very glossy & all about buying into the brand. We’re the opposite of that. We’re selling something that works.”

Another thing that I love about Sunday Riley, is that she has not changed her commitment to making the best, no matter how popular her line is becoming. For example, if something isn’t working or she thinks she could make it better — she will no longer sell it. That’s why you can find Sunday Riley eye shadows on resale websites, but nowhere in legit retailers.”I’m not sentimental,” says Riley. “I only want the best available to people.”

As a woman who is in her late 20’s, I know it is important to take care of my skin, but it is also just as important to me that I buy & support people/products that committed to their products. Why would you invest in something or someone that isn’t even invested in their own product. I want to buy & use quality things & when someone cares that much about their own product & not just about money they can get from it — I am all in! The BEST thing is that — it actually works, & it is worth the money. 

I saw results almost immediately after using these amazing products — especially in the morning. I would wake up to such soft luminous skin — instead of basically reptile scales on my face. This has to do with the mix of retinol & oils in the Luna oil. & I was so excited when I not only had nice looking skin with makeup, but also without it.

The one downside is that Sunday Riley’s products aren’t exactly the cheapest. But the good news is that you have ONE face in your lifetime, & since her line is made with prescription-strength ingredients, you are getting real & quality products. I felt that with all the issues I was having, it was worth it to pay the price for quality. I am not a dermatologist or an expert, so I cannot say they can just fix everything. But they worked for me so I wanted to share them with you. I started off with these two items, & they actually have them in a smaller trial size you can buy — that’s what I did! 

HERE ARE THE STEPS I USUALLY TAKE:

1. I start by cleansing my face with the Glass Slipper cleanser.
2. Then, after smoothing on Good Genes, I use the Luna moisturizing night oil.
3. Then I go to bed. 🙂 — don’t forget to brush your teeth! 
4. In the morning, I wash my face VERY gently to rid of any excess oils from sleeping.
5. Lastly, I use Good Genes again, followed by CEO lotion/serum & go about my day. 

*Tip: Let the products settle before putting on another on or any makeup!

Here is the link for the smaller sizes of what I tried first. It is called the POWER COUPLE!

Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil & Good Genes Treatment, $85, available at Sephora.

It is described on Sephora.com as:

“A transformational power product duo that combines lactic acid and trans-retinol ester to exfoliate and brighten the skin. In use together, this power product duo uncovers more radiant, moisturized skin while promoting evenness of skin tone. Good Genes All-In-One Lactic Acid Treatment exfoliates & moisturizes the skin while smoothing the appearance of fine lines. Luna Sleeping Night Oil contains a powerful, yet gentle trans-retinol ester & moisturizing botanical oils to reduce the appearance of pores, fine lines, & sun damage while preventing flakiness & irritation.”

This set contains:
– 0.5 oz/ 15 mL Good Genes Treatment
– 0.5 oz/ 15 mL Luna Sleeping Night Oil

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
– Parabens
– Sulfates
– Phthalates

What else you need to know:
For sensitive skin, alternate use of each product nightly. For skin accustomed to treatments, apply one to two pumps of Good Genes in the morning and four to five drops of Luna at night. For most effective results, and for skin accustomed to these treatments, use products together, layering at night. Use Luna first, allow to absorb into skin, and follow with Good Genes application. Sunday Riley is a cosmetic chemist and product formulator. After working to develop skin-care products for several years, she became dissatisfied with the ineffective formulations. “People are very frustrated with skin care,” Riley says. “There’s disdain and a lack of trust about products.”

I am excited to try her other products & was even thinking about doing a video based on my skincare routine.

Let me know in the comments if this is something you would like!